UFC Fighters Break Down What It Takes to Be a Great Coach in MMA

Fans tune in on a regular basis to see stars from across the sport of MMA step into the cage and battle for supremacy. Two fighters—engaging in a battle of will and skill—are looking to determine who is on point and who has more work to do.

While the athletes under the bright lights capture the lion's share of attention, there is always a coach or a team of coaches who have helped to get them there. Throughout the landscape of MMA, there are those coaches who have dedicated their lives to making the men and women who fight under them better. Countless hours drilling technique inside the gym and building game plans for the next fight on the schedule are the tangible pieces to to the puzzle. But what ultimately makes a coach great?

That is the question Bleacher Report put to a collection of UFC superstars, and their insights into the subject were as in-depth and complex as the fight game itself. What they revealed is that a coach may be well-versed and steeped in the knowledge he has to share, but he also needs to be able to adapt to the different fighters that come under his wing.